Street marker



l I L. F. N. BALbWlN 1,709,455

STREET MARKER Filed July 12, 1926 NTOR.

Patented Apr. 16, 1929;

UNITED STATES 1,109,455 PATENT OFFICE.

LEON F. N. BALDWIN, OF EDGEROOD, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO BENJAMIN S. CLARK, F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

STREET MARKER.

Application filed July 12,

This invention relates to an improved con- 'struction of street marker; and has for its object to provide a plate having prongs adapted to be forced into the material of the roadbed to be frictionally secured therein.

A further object of this invention is to form this marker of a rectangular blank of sheet stock having its marginal edge and corners bent or folded to extend rearwardly whereby the edge forms a flange and the corners form prongs all to be forcedinto the material of the roadbed to secure the marker in place.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of barbs or projections on the prongs for engaging the material of the roadbed to securely lock the prongs therein.

The invention further consists in the pro-J vision of means in the prongs whereby they are caused to bend slightly at an angle to each other upon being forced into the material of the roadbed to crimp or clinch them in position.

The invention further consists in embossing the stock of the plate with an attractive design to cause them to attractthe attention of the pedestrians and at the same time stiffen the plate against being bent.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more full described,

and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings?- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the underside of the plate with the prongs and Ifnarginal flanges extending rearwardly thererom.

Figure 2- is a face view of the plane of the rectangular blank from which the marker is formed.

Figure 3 is a sectional edge view on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation showing one of the prongsas being forced into the material of the roadbed and slightly bent inwardly to clinch the same in the roadbed material- I My improved street marker is designed to be constructed of sheet stock and provided with prongs adapted to be forced into the material of the roadbed, the idea being that the markers are in asphalt and spaced apart' along a line in the roadbed to direct either or both pedestrians and vehicular traflic and 1926. Serial No. 121,902.

to indicate the proper place for crossing the street. These marker plates are so constructed as to be driven into the roadbed after having been previously heated and softened by a blow torch or other convenient heating means, particularly where the roadbed is constructed of asphalt or other similar material; and it is also found that unless the prongs are specially constructed with barbs or other locking members that these plates are apt to work loose from the roadbed which renders them impractical. To obviate this difiiculty, I have formed my improved marking plates preferably from rectangular blanks of sheet stock and have turned or folded the corners of the blank rearwardly along with the marginal edge of the blank and the corners I have notched to form prongs of arrow-head shape and the flanges of these arrow heads I have preferably turned inwardly slightly from the plane of the prong to form barbs or offset portions which serve a double purpose; first, they have a tendency to turn the prongs inwardly towards each other as theyare driven into the material of the roadbed; and secondly, these barbs serve to themselves engage the material of the roadbed and so further lock the markers therein so that they cannot work loose by action of the traffic running over them; and the following is a detailed description of the present embodiment of. my invention and showing one constructionof marker by which these. advantageous results may be accomplished:-

With reference to the drawings, 10 designates the body portion of the marker which is preferably formed of sheet stock, the stock being first preferably cut into rectangular form as illustrated in Figure 2, the corners of the blank being notched as at 11 forming these corners into the shape of arrow heads.

The flanges 13 of these arrow heads are preferably turned off at an angle as illustrated in Figure 3 from the plane of the 100 prong.

These arrow-head shaped corners are then folded or turned rearwardly together with the marginal edge of the blank forming a marginal flange 1 1 all about the plate. These 105 corners also provide rearwardly projecting prongs 12 extending from the marginal edge flange, the edge portion 15 about the prongs being preferablya little deeper than the edge portion 16 between the prongs.

In some instances, I emboss the plate as at 17 forming ribs thereon to stiffen the plate also this embossed portion may be of novel design which will serve to attract the attention of the pedestrian and also by being raised above the surface of the plate this embossing will receive a little more abrading action and so become a little brighter to further engage the eyes of pedestrians to call their attention to the crossing line.

Then again, these embossed ribs are hollow as at 19 to form pockets on the under side for the reception of the softened material of the roadbed to further serve as a lock for retaining the plate in position.

In some instances when itis desired to curl or bend the prong beginning at its extremity from its starting plane is driven into the material of the roadbed I offset the point as at 20, see Figure 3, which causes them to curl inwardly towards each other and so clinch them into the roadbed.

My improved street marker is very simple,

practical and inexpensive in construction, is

effective in its operation and when driven into the surface of the roadbed .is securely locked therein and cannot be dislodged by the effect of travel upon them.

ginal flange, a set of spaced prongs extending rearwardly from said flange and barbed inwardly from their ends to lock the prongs in the material of the roadbed.

2. A street marker formed of a rectangular blank, the corners of the blank being notched and turned rearwardly forming arrow-head shaped prongs to be driven into the material of the road bed.

3. A street marker formed of a rectangular blank, the corners of the blank being notched and turned rearwardly forming arrow-head shaped prongs, the flanges of the arrow head being oifset laterally to deflect the prongs to one side as they are forced into the material of the road bed.

4. A street marker comprising a plate having a rearwardly extending marginal flange, a plurality of prongs extending rearwardly from said flange adapted to be driven into the hard surface of the road bed, the opposite pairs of said prongs having lateral projections extending toward the middle of said plate and toward each other to engage the material of the roadbed to lock the prongs when forced therein.

5. A street marker comprising a body portion having a rearwardly extending marginal flange, said flange having a plurality of rearwardly-extended prongs for entering the roadbed, said prongs having barbs bent toward the middle of the body portion only shaped to deflect or cause them to bend from their normal plane as the are forced into the material of the roadbe In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LEON F. N. BALDWIN. 

